From Personal Struggle to AI-Powered Health Solution
Mike Prytkov understands firsthand how stress can derail health goals. While building his first company, the entrepreneur found himself working long hours and gaining weight. After exiting his advertising technology venture Appness, he experimented with various weight-loss methods—extreme workouts, calorie tracking, and fasting—but found maintaining consistency challenging.
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“While it worked, consistency was the hard part,” Prytkov explained. What he truly needed, he realized, was a coach who could keep him accountable. This personal insight led to the creation of Simple in 2019, an AI-powered health coaching application designed to help people lose weight effectively.
The Rise of AI Coach Avo
In 2023, Simple introduced its standout feature: an AI coach named Avo that provides personalized guidance based on users’ specific needs and progress. “We wanted to help people lose weight without the guilt or grind that is innate to the toxic diet culture,” Prytkov emphasized.
The platform has grown significantly, now generating $160 million in annual recurring revenue with 700,000 subscribers. This growth attracted notable investment, as originally reported by IMD Monitor, with actor Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Ventures leading a $35 million Series B funding round announced recently. The company has now raised $45 million in total funding.
How Simple’s AI Coaching Works
Avo currently handles more than 100,000 coaching conversations daily and processes nearly 300,000 meal logs. Users begin by completing a detailed form to create their personalized program before being introduced to their AI coach.
“The coaching is delivered through a chat powered by LLMs that adapt tone and content to each person, with memory for long-term context and constitution-based fine-tuning,” Prytkov detailed. The system collects user-inputted information like meal logs and runs assessments that score habits and nutritional quality.
Differentiating From Competitors
Simple positions itself against established players like Noom, WeightWatchers, and MyFitnessPal by focusing on personalized coaching rather than generic content. Unlike some competitors, the app doesn’t offer standardized lessons, basic calorie tracking, or venture into GLP-1 medication distribution.
“We provide personalized coaching, not just tracking,” Prytkov emphasized. “Avo adapts daily plans across nutrition, fasting, movement, and habits, as it provides real-time meal feedback and tailored check-ins.”
The platform does, however, complement GLP-1 medication users by serving as a “behavior engine” that helps maintain healthy routines after medications are discontinued.
The AI Advantage
The advancement of large language models has significantly enhanced Simple’s personalization capabilities. “AI has changed both the product and the model,” Prytkov noted. “Every dialogue, every logged meal feeds a closed-loop learning system that updates each person’s profile and improves our cohort-level models. With each iteration, Avo becomes more accurate and more proactive.”
Strategic Investment and Future Vision
Hartbeat Ventures approached Simple after the launch of Avo two years ago, drawn by the company’s strong metrics, profitability, and market traction. “At the time, we weren’t looking for investors, but HartBeat Ventures felt like an amazing fit for us, so we agreed,” Prytkov recalled.
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Looking forward, Simple plans to expand its GLP-1 companion features and launch specialized programs for women’s health and midlife wellness. The ultimate vision extends beyond weight loss to creating a comprehensive health application addressing sleep, stress management, and physical activity.
“Our vision is to become the Duolingo of health,” Prytkov shared. “The goal is simple. Become the go-to fun health companion people use every day, and the most effective way to build healthy habits.”
This coverage builds on reporting originally published by IMD Monitor regarding Kevin Hart’s venture firm leading this significant investment in AI-driven health technology.
